Colts' Usage of 12 Personnel Has Devastated Defenses

The Colts have also used 12 personnel as their go-to shot play formation. Jones has attempted just eight pass attempts with 20+ air yards this season, and five of those attempts have come out of 12 personnel. Even on plays where Jones isn't slinging the ball vertically, the Colts have leaned into 7-8 man protections out of 12 personnel looks to create chunk plays.

These calls are designed to isolate Alec Pierce and Adonai Mitchell on islands. The two receivers boast very different skill sets, but these looks capitalize on what each player does best.

For Pierce, his speed and his ability to stack vertically make him a hard target to cover. The Colts call these shot plays particularly due to his ability as a deep threat.

Mitchell is the team's best man-beater and thrives on an island. These calls isolate him on an entire side of the field with a lone corner trying to lock up the Colts' best route runner. The Colts have drawn up several chunk plays out of these max-protect looks with these two pass catches to start the season.

Run Game Deployment

While the Colts have passed the ball more than they have run out of 12 personnel this season, they have still sprinkled in a few runs to keep the defense honest. The presence of Jonathan Taylor in heavy personnel is certainly one thing, but it adds to the fear when he is actually utilized in these packages.

The Colts as a team have run the ball 20 times for 114 yards and a touchdown in this personnel set, but Taylor in particular has really exploded. He has carried the ball 11 times for 84 yards and a touchdown out of 12 personnel, which is an astounding 7.63 yards per carry. The Colts have done a good job of mixing in power and puller-style runs to give Taylor massive run lanes out of this formation.

The Fun Plays Mixed In

So far, we have seen that the Colts use 12 personnel for several reasons. The Colts want to get defenses into seven-man boxes and throw out of it with max protection off of play-action.

This allows them to isolate their playmakers for shot plays on the outside or drag Warren across the field for run after catch opportunities. If a defense doesn't match personnel and comes out in lighter boxes, the Colts will run power runs right into the teeth of the weaker front.

The final way they use this formation is to get creative with Tyler Warren. Warren is an absolute weapon for this Colts' offense, and he has lined up all over the field to start the season.

Two of the Colts' biggest plays this season have come with him at the fullback position out of 12 personnel. The Colts completed a 41-yard pass to Warren against the Denver Broncos on a fullback sail call, and came back the next week with an iso run to Taylor for a 46-yard touchdown against the Tennessee Titans.

Defenses have so much to account for when the Colts are in 12 personnel, but these occasional change-ups have created massive gains for the Colts' offense.

The Bottom Line

One way to view the Colts' play-calling on offense this year is like a pitcher mixing pitches. The Colts may operate out of 11 personnel for a majority of the game, similarly to how a pitcher will throw a fastball more often than not. The truly devastating pitch, like an off-speed curveball, has to be used sparingly to work to maximum impact. That is exactly what the Colts are doing with 12 personnel.

The Colts are only using 12 personnel on 25% of their offensive plays, but most of their explosive passes have come out of this formation, and the team is averaging 7.9 yards per play on these calls.

They have been devastating defenses with this personnel group, and the results have been showing on the scoreboard. The Colts' diversity of attack has led to great success this season, and 12 personnel has been their biggest weapon in the arsenal thus far.